Looking up instinctively towards the screens that projected a vision of space, as if they were behind glass, the Homs noted that one was far from being able to observe a simple starry expanse.

Everywhere you looked, gigantic ships were being assembled. Robot teams, led by red-haired Homs, were bustling about everywhere. These Homs seemed to be breathing without any problem in space, indicating the presence of portable atmosphere spheres, or the fact that they were Vermeils who did not need to breathe…

Momentarily forgetting their resentment, the two Homs turned their questioning gazes towards Xini.

“Behold the secret fleet of the Administration!” she announced solemnly. “Its construction began under the presidency of my queen, Xerina, but it has accelerated considerably under the current mandate... Even counting the hundred years or so that separate us from this present we are joining, I did not expect my scanners to indicate so many ships... It is much larger than one of the old galaxy fleets...”

The ships were massive, gradually covered with black plates that made them almost invisible in the sunless space. This place was probably located between the different galaxies of the secret zone, offering an infinite space for construction hidden from view...

“Aren't they likely to detect us?” Lhom asked. “If this place is so secret, they must have equivalent security...”

“No. No one would ever project themselves here, towards certain death. The probability that this suicidal people put its ship in stealth mode despite the resulting loss of power is even lower, if not zero. Our arrival is outside the statistics… at least, that of arrivals by chance. I discovered the existence of this place by spying on the president’s secret documents and by following the path of my own security software: they use them for local security. No really powerful scanners are at work here. It would be too great a waste of resources given the size of the shipyard. In addition, I have improved the wreck that served as your stealth system, now that I have access to the matter synthesizer…”

“The wreck? It’s a cutting-edge system!”

“For you. Not for my people: we developed your systems almost a century ago… Two now, probably…”

The Homs glared at her. There was no administrative beacon in the area, so no way of knowing the universal date. How dare she recall her crime so casually.

“What need there is for a secret fleet?” Domeria asked. “There are already shipyards where galaxy fleets are being built.”

“This fleet is special,” Xini explained, “especially because it is designed to be fully automated. I suppose my queen chose this location to avoid any Zcarbb hacking during construction. I think she wanted to create a small elite force capable of carrying out covert operations for the Administration. The current president has a much more… grandiose vision. While I completely disapprove of his involvement in the SECURA program, I must say that what he is building here is…”

“The president is involved in the SECURA program? The president of the Universe? The SECURA program that you claim is used to… condition people?”

Sava had paled. If the SECURA chips had indeed a program that behaved like the drug he had been injected with, then it would be possible to subtly, or even radically, change the opinions of the implanted ones… And the president of the Universe was involved? Was this a pure and simple betrayal of all the ideals of the Administration… or was it their pragmatic application?

“Yes. As much as I am opposed to a program that manipulates people's opinions, this fleet could well be the final solution.”

“The solution to what?” Lhom asked.

Xini sighed and she seemed a little lost in memories, her face taking on a nostalgic expression that was not usual for her.

“That's the name that was given to this secret file. A few years ago... well, a good number of years now, after... after the assassination of my queen, I left our people's base to work in computer security companies. I then began to conduct my investigation to find the culprits... and make them pay... That's when I discovered the existence of the ‘Citizen’ program on SECURA chips. By following the trail, I came across the president himself. Although protected by the best software, his systems could do nothing against me... besides, his anti-virus was of my own design. I discovered the existence of this area by chance while consulting the most used files. I had never been there before today, but I know everything about the ‘Final Solution’ program... However, I was unable to discover any clues about the possible involvement of the president in the assassination of the one who preceded him. That's what I was initially looking for...”

“So, what is this final solution, in the end?”

Xini jumped. She had gotten lost in her memories, in this investigation that occupied almost all of her thoughts. She looked ashamed for the first time, but for having let herself go like that. Under the hostile looks of the rest of the small crew, she regained her composure.

“The final solution to the Zcarbb problem, quite simply. A large automated fleet of world destroyers. Controlled by Vermeils, models now totally subjugated… Probably in connection with SECURA… this fleet would resist Zcarbbs hacking and exterminate them, using the resources of each destroyed planet or place crossed to double, or even increase tenfold its size once its losses are compensated. This army would thus multiply infinitely, submerging Zcarbbs territories regardless of their real extent. An effective solution… Don’t you agree?”

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The faces of the two Homs did indeed express shock and horror. Xini did not really understand why, this time.

“But, it's totally illegal,” exploded Domeria, “and it's impossible. How can he have the funds for that? And how can the largest private army the universe has ever known be built in secret? It's absurd! And you say that these SECURA chips... Is there even a way to stop all this?”

“W-why stop it? The Zcarbbs are the number one threat to the universe: their extermination is an excellent solution. The real problem is the SECURA chip.”

“I'm willing to admit that he embezzled money,” analyzed Lhom, “but enough to finance such a fleet? Even though he himself mines the galaxies in this secret zone, there are plenty of rare materials needed to build world destroyers in such large quantities… Even for a fleet of normal ships. No wonder the debt has grown so much under his presidency…”

“I hope he plans to use this fleet for deterrence,” Domeria said in an uncertain voice, “because if he launches it against the Zcarbbs… He’s not going to commit a xenocide of this magnitude, is he? Not to mention the Zcarbb response… And all their nations that are not currently in conflict with us… We have to stop this madman!”

A new spectacle came to distract the passengers of the “Lost Truth” from their concerns. As their ship passed one of the monstrous structures under construction, a surprising glow appeared. In space, a strange horizon like a cloud of all colors danced, analogous to no other cosmic phenomena.

“What is that now?” Lhom wondered.

Xini also watched the strange spectacle with fascination.

“This is the ‘T’ zone. The real one. It is not these small points, scattered throughout the universe, where this strange construction of energy allows the exchange of the position of matter: it is the real nerve center of this zone. There, matter is crushed, transformed, remodeled, to correspond to the desires of the users of the ‘T’ energy. The energy of the suns is exploited, the reality of matter is uncertain. This is the physical location of what the Elunadoran scientists call the Altemonde. When the Titans arrived, the use of the ‘T’ energy increased and entire galaxies were consumed. Fortunately, the Administration was not yet established there. It was necessary to falsify countless data banks to make people believe that these places had always been part of the ‘I’ zone. For added security, several healthy galaxies have been added to the area…”

“You mean this secret area already existed before your president?”

“Yes. I don't know since when exactly. It's a place that originally serves to hide from citizens the results of the use of ‘T’ energy. That's also why its use is restricted: if the whole civilization started using it massively, half the universe would probably be destroyed to satisfy the desires of the other half...”

The strange area shone and spit like tentacles of light trying to grab a little more matter from the outside, to grow even bigger... It was a magnificent sight, but horrible when you understood what it meant.

“I’ve read texts from explorers,” Lhom murmured, “and even testimonials from Chaotiuns talking about this mysterious Altemonde… I didn’t think it had a limit… They never mentioned a border…”

“Of course there is a limit,” Xini mocked, “only the universe is unlimited… Probably…”

Leaving the fascination of these dancing lights behind, Sava Domeria frowned.

“So,” she said, “let’s summarize. This scum sent us a hundred years, or so, into the future, permanently far from everyone I know. The president is building a huge secret army and seems to want to use it for some crazy project. The other bad guy drugged me and manipulated me to trust him. Finally, the SECURA chip is supposedly a monstrosity designed to subtly manipulate people’s thoughts, designed from the same drug used by the other bad guy. Am I forgetting something?”

Lhom felt deeply annoyed and let it show vaguely in the tone of his reply:

“Yes, you forget that I saved you from certain death when you were adrift in space.”

“Oh, sorry, that's right. I should feel so grateful that I should serve you for the rest of your days. May I retire to my quarters now, your lordship?”

She punctuated her ironic speech with a bow worthy of the royal courts, then turned on her heel and walked away with a quick step heavy with fury.

Lhom clenched his fists in annoyance. His initial shame at having his actions revealed was fading before a new idea: he had saved her life after all! Granted, he had drugged and manipulated her, but it was necessary. Faced with all the potential dangers that threatened, he needed someone to support him, someone who would not make too many difficulties...

“She's right.”

He turned his fury on Xini, who had just spoken.

“Oh yeah? You've perfectly diverted the conversation from your own wrongs by highlighting this insignificant fact.”

“You call that insignificant? One of the rare beautiful things, found in both your inferior species and mine, is this ability of each to make choices. Good or bad, it remains their choice. It is the expression of themselves, of what they are... To take away this ability is the most execrable of crimes...”

“Sure: you know a thing or two about crime, given where I pulled you from.”

“I didn't... Killing people is much less horrible than manipulating them!”

“I'm not too sure the victims would agree.”

“And then, I didn't have time to kill anyone! A few collateral victims, probably, but those I had planned to kill… They would have died to allow an infinite number of other people to remain free. Everyone would have lost confidence in SECURA and all the other cervical implants: I would have foiled the conspiracy forever! If that damned Hogloo had not betrayed me… They had promised to share technological secrets… Can we still call these liars Hogloos? Root… I wonder what this damned organization wants…”

As everyone delved into their own dark thoughts, silence fell.

Libre Lhom was busy reorganizing the images of the forbidden zone in order to put together a file on the subject, but his mind was elsewhere. How dare they both reproach him? First, it was his ship, his adventure. Second, he was the one who had pulled each of them out of their own mess. How did they thank him? One of them projected him into the future and revealed what shouldn’t be revealed, while the other complained because he had just manipulated her a little…

Well, if he had been in her situation, he probably would have taken his gun and shot the manipulator… But it wasn’t… it wasn’t the same thing because… well, he had his own circumstances forcing him to take these measures… yes, it wasn’t his fault if he had… Well, logically he was right, but still… And then, if she reproached him for that, how would she react when she found out… maybe she would never find out… But that was unlikely…

With annoyance, he got up from his seat: walking would do him good.

He remained standing, motionless.

“Um… Xini? Didn’t you say that no one would be able to follow us?”